Toad In The Hole

The sausage is a relative newcomer to the position of toad, the space having been previously reserved for any small pieces of meat that could be eked out with a bit of batter. Scraps of the Sunday roast, bits of cooked ham or pretty much anything you like have been used in place of the sausages, and never more so than after the war. Nowadays it's bangers or nothing. The recipe stands or falls by the quality of the sausage you use.

The Recipe

Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7. Whisk together 2 eggs and 300ml of full-fat milk. Add a good pinch of salt, then beat in 125g plain flour. Heat 3 tbsp of lard or dripping in a small roasting tin or baking dish until it starts to smoke. Add 6 fat pork sausages and let them colour on all sides then, while the oil and sausages are smoking hot, pour in the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden.

The Trick

Like making Yorkshire pudding, get the fat in the roasting tin (literally) smoking hot before adding the batter. I put the lightly cooked sausages in the pan first then pour in the batter when you can see a blue haze rising. I am a great believer in letting the batter rest before using, though others disagree.

The Twist

Nigella's adorable new book Kitchen (Chatto and Windus, £26) turns the toad on its head by using sausage patties, the meat pressed from its casing and shaped into tiny burgers. Delightful, especially if you season them with thyme. I often wrap my sausages, minus their skins, in very thin bacon or pancetta. Onion gravy is the usual accompaniment, but new thinking involves hot, rough-textured tomato sauce or even a creamy mustard one, such as you might serve with rabbit.

Pot-roast pheasant with chorizo, butter beans and parsley

This recipe comes from River Cottage's head chef, Gill Meller - it's a fantastic winter warmer which tastes even better reheated and eaten the day after you make it. Give the butter beans a full 24-hour soak before cooking - it really helps to make them tender and buttery.

Ingredients (Serves four)

200g dried butter beans
1 knob butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 oven-ready pheasants
200-300g cooking chorizo, outer skin removed, flesh chopped into 2-3cm chunks
1 pig's trotter (optional)
300ml white wine
500ml chicken or game stock (or water)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cover the beans with plenty of cold water and leave to soak for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Place a large casserole over a medium heat; add the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for at least 10 minutes, until soft and golden, stirring regularly to prevent them over-colouring.

Meanwhile, set a large frying pan over a high heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Season the pheasants all over, brown on all sides for three to four minutes, then transfer to the casserole.

Add the chorizo to the frying pan, along with the pig's trotter (if using). Fry for three to four minutes to brown, then add to the casserole. Deglaze the frying pan with a little of the wine, then add to the casserole, along with the remaining wine, the stock and the drained beans. Bring the casserole up to a simmer, then cover, move to the oven and cook for two hours.

Remove the birds from the pan and set aside to rest in a warm place. Discard the pig's trotter (or save it for a midnight snack). If the chorizo has released a lot of fat, skim some off. Add the parsley and season to taste. Carve the birds and divide them between warmed plates. Spoon over the chorizo, beans and sauce, and serve with mash and/or lots of bread.

Tzatziki

Excellent with bread, vegetable fritters, meatballs or crudités.

Ingredients (Makes 600ml)

750ml plain yoghurt
1 long, thin cucumber, peeled and
finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
3-4 tbs olive oil
3 tbs finely chopped fresh dill

Line a colander with cheesecloth (muslin) or a double thickness of paper towels and spoon the yoghurt into it. Let drain over a bowl in the refrigerator for about 6 hours. Transfer the strained yoghurt from the strainer to a bowl. Stir in the cucumber, garlic, salt and oil. Cover and chill.

Serve in a shallow bowl, sprinkled with the dill.